Speakers

Deborah brings more than 30 years of experience in community-based land use and transportation planning, public engagement, climate resilience, and agency coordination to her role as Director of Community Planning for the New York Metro at AECOM. Adept at synthesizing complex technical documents to make them accessible to audiences with a wide range of expertise, she has worked extensively with both local communities and elected officials at the local, state, and federal level. Deborah has also developed and managed innovative environmental justice outreach programs, effectively widening the participation of often neglected communities in the planning process. Throughout her career, Deborah has been responsible for the development and implementation of several innovative public engagement strategies, including for the Battery Park City Resiliency Program, New York City Department of Environmental Protection's Kissena Cloudburst Hub, LaGuardia Airport's Central Terminal Building Redevelopment Program, New York State Department of Transportation’s Hunts Point Interstate Access Improvement and Sheridan Improvement Projects, and Third Track on the Main Line for LIRR. She also supported the New York City Department of Design and Construction and Economic Development Corporation with storm recovery projects in Manhattan and Queens and managed the Borough Based Jails program through its Citywide approvals. Prior to joining the AEC industry, she worked in the fields of strategic planning and organizational development, community development, and media and public relations, including hosting television and radio shows.